


Lay Your Wings to Rest

by velvetcake96



Series: Clockwork AU [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Angst and Feels, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, Insomnia, Parental Roy Mustang, Sleepy Edward, Slight Abandonment Issues, We stan that tag in this home!, fluff at the end, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29130315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetcake96/pseuds/velvetcake96
Summary: Ed hasn't always had sleeping problems. Maybe some company can help.
Relationships: Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell
Series: Clockwork AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137515
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	Lay Your Wings to Rest

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one shot to kick off this Au. I would say this takes place in the middle of the main story. So Ed has slight sleeping problems and maybe some abandonment issues. Tells a bit about the backstory for Ed and kind of how he met Roy. This fic is just me getting use to writing again and testing out this Au. Please be kind about my writing I'm having writing growing pains.

One thing that the young boy has learned is it's not safe to sleep alone. That in the span of seconds everything could go to Hell in a handbasket, and in that moment the only thing that keeps you from being killed is being awake or asleep. Being ready to jump on your feet in a matter of seconds. At least that’s what Edward Elric knew now. That always being a fact of life or if it was a rule of his situation was something he was still unsure about.

When he was a lot younger he had an actual family. He had a father, then he went away, he had a mother, then she passed away, he had a younger brother and then he sent him away. Now he was alone. He had a support group, he felt like he could sleep fine, but not anymore.

It happened a handful of times; the yowling. The way he would describe it is what he imagines a mixture of a cat being thrown in a washer and a human getting their fingernails pulled off would sound like. That was the only sign some nights, and others he got slugged in the face. At some point he preferred the mutated creatures over the cruel humans of his world. Because at least the monsters couldn't control themselves but humans can. 

Before the rescue he lived in a village. A place where survivors would go so they could be safe. He used to travel with his childhood best friend Winry Rockbell. After he sent his brother away to a safer location all he had was Winry, and she was always there for him. When he lost two of his limbs she was there to help make new ones, when they had to see their little brother go she was the rock that helped him through it. And then she got busy. She helped survivors who had automail, and because of that they had less time to be with each other. He didn’t mind it at first, he was just happy that his friend was lively again doing what she loved, and that she was helping people. But then the time they spent together was getting shorter and then he barely even saw her. The only time he did was when his arm or leg was busted up and during his last few visits he saw that she didn’t really need him anymore. He always strived to help the ones he cared about, and when he saw she was fine on his own he thought he could be as well. So he made himself get busy.

Where the survivors where the younger ones usually did the more dangerous jobs, while the older spent the rest of their years in as much peace they could get, and children could have a short childhood before being put to work. Ed was no different but he what he did he did alone. He would gather food for the townspeople, and that meant he left the safe haven pretty often. He wasn’t very happy about that, but Ed couldn't complain. He needed to stay busy because he felt like if he didn’t he would break, crumble with the rest of the world around him, and he couldn't do that. He still had a little brother that he needed to get back to. So he pushed his feelings away and then got to work.

He was fine by himself. He was fine with the little amount of food and sleep he would get because he didn’t feel safe. At some point he convinced himself that he wanted to be alone, that it was better that way, and that he was fine. And then Colonel Roy Mustang entered the picture.

Ed hated to admit it but Roy saved him in more ways than one. While their meeting was hostile at first they did learn to tolerate each other and then it turned into a friendship of sorts. They had a deal, Ed would help Roy with his job by showing him where the village was, and Roy would bring them to safety. But in between the time of their meeting and the rescue they grew close. Then something strange happened around the colonel; he got him to sleep. Still thinking about it he was surprised when he let his eyelids drop for a quick nap around the man. At that point they may have known each other for a good week or two but he got him to sleep. His screwed up brain decided it was a good idea to let his guard down with a man he didn’t know, and then his brain decided to get attached. 

So maybe that’s why he was in the predicament he was in now. Sitting on one of the couches in the colonel's office waiting for the bastard himself. Now this would be fine if he wasn’t about to fall asleep. Ever since the rescue he still had a hard time sleeping; scared about still not being safe and conditioned to work with little to no sleep it wasn’t a surprise that he was about to tap out. He really hated the fact that he only knew three people that could make him feel okay. He probably hated even more that we needed to feel safe to sleep. He felt like he was running on animal instinct and now that he was back in a normal society he couldn’t turn them off. 

The golden boy let himself fall on his side. 'He will probably take a bit to get here. I’ll just take a quick power nap and then I can face him.' And with that thought he curled up and soon fell asleep.

Roy didn’t know if he should be amused or concerned about the sight that welcomed him in his office. The small teenager he has come to know was curled up like a cat and sleeping on one of the couches in his office. He wasn’t sure to let him sleep or wake him up. He has dealt with war, and Mae Hughes, but a sleeping child was a whole other problem. Especially when that child is a hot headed insomniac that will probably bite his hand off if he tries to wake him up. So to save his hands from an untimely demise he threw his jacket on top of the small boy and left him alone. 

He made his way towards his desk before he heard the sifting of fabric. Worried that he may have woken him up Roy turned back around to see a sight that stamped a small smile on his face. The small blonde has burrowed himself in his jacket to where it was covering most of his face. But even if Roy couldn't really see it the teen looked more content than ever before.

And maybe just this once Roy wont tease him for this.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!


End file.
